The above is a reference to The Producers (the skit in the production is called Springtime for Hitler), as I was having some speech and debate nostalgia with the recent hype of circuit tournaments. So a quick shoutout to my HS speech and debate team!
While it may be a month or so until spring officially arrives, the recent weather at Caltech truly calls for some Vivaldi. You can listen to this Youtube video while reading to the rest of the blog (another shoutout, but to my HS chamber orchestra!). Sadly the Itzhak Perlman version was cut off in the third movement.
Springtime means the shedding of jackets and the introduction to shorts after a “cold” and glum winter. The sports are slowly moving from indoors to outside, noted by the transition from basketball to baseball and from fencing to tennis.
Alumni basketball game against Occidental. It had a large attendance, and you see President Chameau in the front.
Stopping by a Caltech baseball game on my way back from the gym.
The Olive Walk on a gorgeous Friday afternoon.
Springtime at Caltech also means the scramble of students finalizing internship/research applications, most notably SURF. I had mentioned in my first blog that students can work at Caltech over the summer. This is possible through the SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) program. As a freshman intending to major in the physical/computational sciences (“dry lab” sciences), it is hard to find internships where I would have the right skills. However, there is always a little something for someone of any skill level. Caltech works with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), about a 20-minute drive north of campus in La Cañada-Flintridge. JPL researchers post SURF positions on the SURF site, so I found an opportunity that I have the skills for (it deals with geophysics and statistics, and I need to know MATLAB, which my chemistry lab from last quarter thankfully taught me). So, I met with my mentor at JPL and captured a quick picture while waiting for the shuttle back to campus. I’ll get more pictures this summer, but I wish I took a picture of one of the model rovers.
The beautiful JPL from the west gate. The flora is surprisingly similar to Caltech’s.
The campus is once again in full bloom. Flowers are everywhere, and I had to capture some of the beauty to share with you.
The beginning of the bloom of pink flowers on these trees that dot the campus. I wish I knew what they were. This is near Steele House.
The flowers in full bloom, taken from Hill Avenue near President Chameau’s house.
Avery has a vegetable garden in the back (along Del Mar). There are peppers and poppies growing.
Finally, roses growing in the Rose Walk (near Avery).
Quote of the day: As midterms are over (and I did pretty well on them), I will give you one last Chinese New Year fortune from CDS. Moral of the story: go to class and do your homework well. It won’t kill you, so it will make you stronger. “The road to riches is paved with problem sets.”
